


strike the match

by apocrypha_luxe



Series: take a torch to my defences [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Comfort Sex, M/M, Resolved Sexual Tension, Sort Of, mission gone sideways, reckless coping mechanisms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:07:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23138968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apocrypha_luxe/pseuds/apocrypha_luxe
Summary: He shrugged with the tediousness of the assignment, nothing to be done but suck it up and get on with it. Besides, he could definitely think of worse ways to spend a couple of days than on a job with his present company. Neji's lip quirked in time with the raising of a perfectly manicured eyebrow, sharing the wavelength, camaraderie in the face of their impending suffering.'Next time you visit, Shikamaru, bring better news.'
Relationships: Hyuuga Neji/Nara Shikamaru
Series: take a torch to my defences [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1663261
Comments: 17
Kudos: 110





	strike the match

**Author's Note:**

> We’re here for vast swathes of Feelings and Sex, folks, that’s it. If that’s your jam hang around cause there are more instalments to come, some might say there’s plot but I’m not entirely sure about that. Also we are vaguely canon-adjacent if you squint, but we won’t ever do major character death in this house. Author owns nothing but her mistakes and a shameless need to  
> see idiots fall in love. 
> 
> Eternal thanks to my vivacious cheerleader Ms T for letting me talk about these boys f o r e v e r, I could literally not function without you. And to Rayne for the life raft (and chapter 50!).

Shikamaru lounged on the veranda of the Hyūga compound, sunshine drenched timber radiating the early autumn heat, legs akimbo as he slipped further into a cat-like sprawl that seemed to draw increasing amusement into the features of the shinobi standing by his side. He slumped a little lower and watched as a smile tugged at those lips, threatened to spill over into a laugh, something which he would have ignorantly sworn the other man was practically incapable of up until recent months. He let himself drink in the sight a moment longer, a kick of warmth swirling in his belly as moonstone eyes stroked over his haphazard limbs, gazes locking for a pulse-stuttering breath before Neji turned to glance out towards the garden. 

'So, Nara, do you plan on telling me about this mission? Or are you just here to take advantage of a quiet place to nap?' 

Shikamaru barked out a laugh, grinned as he leant back further on his elbows and let his eyes drift shut. The playful teasing had been a thing for a while now, something that came out between them when they were alone, and he hoarded every minute of it. There weren't many people who would even try to go a round of verbal sparring with him, but when he and Neji really got going it would make him feel like he was training with a live blade, movements sharp and graceful. Intimate. Flirting with something dangerous. Shikamaru loved it, loved the way it left him short of breath. It still took him by surprise that he'd found someone who could keep up with him, outrun him, and even in these lighter moments he felt the thrill of it sing in his blood. 

'Hn, and here I was thinking we could enjoy each other's company for a while before getting down to business. No rest for the wicked, right Hyūga?' 

He stole a glance up through shuttered lids, caught the tilt of Neji's head and smirked. He got why people thought Neji was icy and uptight, he really did. Used to count himself amongst them, even. Neji knew how to keep people away, wore his carefully crafted distance like armor. To the world he was unapproachable, intimidating. All high-bred silent arrogance, so tightly coiled that the concept of letting loose probably never crossed his mind. A skilled, lethal shinobi who seemed so unrelatable that people usually took the out his brittleness offered them and gave him space. 

But fuck, there was so much more to the man than the mask he wore, than what he projected, and once Shikamaru started to see clearly he couldn't stop noticing. Dozens of little tells that had probably been there all along if he'd ever taken the time to really look, the twitch of an eyebrow when he was amused, the curve of a lip from restrained laughter, the subtle shift of his posture when he relaxed. A multitude of things which hinted at a deeper puzzle, at a vibrant fire hidden behind iron-clad fortifications, and Shikamaru had become intrigued. It had also occurred to him that maybe he was only seeing so much because Neji was allowing it, and that thought had sent something bright sparking in his chest that he'd been cautiously guarding, not wanting to extinguish it but not sure he should fan it either. So he let himself adjust, let himself indulge in the quiet pursuit of understanding. A little more time together here and there, missions and meetings and the casual crossing of paths, a slowly decaying orbit. Each occasion drew them a fraction closer until they'd begun to linger in each other's presence, the growing curiosity apparently mutual. 

He'd been prepared to accept that that was where their friendship might draw a line, then a job together had left them isolated from their team, holed up overnight in a cabin deep in neighbouring lands with mission parameters which left them both feeling too raw. Words hadn't come easy at first, but they had come, surprising them both. Fissures cracked through the great walls of their defences, letting each other draw near enough to glimpse the long shadows of things buried deep, hands reaching to offer a fleeting press of comfort to tense shoulders and fisted knuckles in a show of tenderness neither one of them would normally welcome. Shikamaru had slept better that night than in longer than he could remember, a sense of calm in his chest at feeling seen without judgement, at feeling a little less alone. To his total surprise the peace remained between them once the night passed, settled without awkwardness as though sharing so much was just the natural, inevitable progression of things, and Shikamaru felt another part of the puzzle that was Neji Hyūga slip into place. 

A couple of months had crept by since then and Shikamaru found himself regularly seeking out Neji's company, found the Hyūga appearing by his side more and more often too, their growing friendship warming him in a way that he'd only experienced with Choji and Ino before now. And if occasionally those arresting eyes gazed at him in ways that set off those bright sparks under his skin, or he lost time thinking on what it might be like if they were something more than friends, well, that couldn't really hurt could it? 

He sprawled back completely on the deck, soaking up as much heat as possible from the timber and pillowing his arms behind his head, considered the lousy job they were about to undertake. 

'Small time weapons maker seeks travel buddies for a quiet stroll through the forest, must have fancy clan names and be willing to indulge his inflated sense of self-importance.'

Neji reached out to rest both hands on the railing, shoulders tightening with a ripple of irritation. The Hyūga hated this sort of bullshit as much as he did. 

'Let me guess, he requested us specifically?' 

Shikamaru huffed out a long breath, let his arms fall out by his sides and smack palm-down on the veranda. 

'You know it. Such a damn drag.'

Neji turned to face him and leant back just the slightest fraction against the rail, practically a slouch for him, and Shikamaru couldn't help but return his pained expression with a smirk. This kind of job came up from time to time, a client with just enough clan clout to see their requests for particular chaperones pandered to. Whichever poor bastards were flavour of the month would be subjected to a mission that could easily be handled by any genin team, with the added misery of hours of smalltalk and awkward job offers. Or marriage proposals. _Gods._ Shikamaru winced, answering Neji's lack of enthusiasm with a resigned nod before rolling up to his feet and joining him at the railing. 

'Point A to Point B, no return trip to be endured with him, no foreseen problems, we can just drop him off and get out of there. Could be worse. Shouldn't take more than a couple of days unless you and I take our time on the way home, have a little holiday, stop off somewhere nice for massages or something.'

Neji tilted his head in acknowledgement, grimace smoothing out into something playful and warm as he caught Shikamaru's teasing gaze, opalescent eyes flickering with mother-of-pearl fire in the light. Shikamaru's breath caught in his throat. The afternoon sun held Neji haloed in rays of shimmering gold, mahogany hair spilling over his shoulder like liquid silk, powerful body held proud, the carved marble of his strong jaw and elegant throat softened by the diffused amber light. He looked otherworldly, beautiful, and for a moment Shikamaru was utterly entranced. He shook his head in an effort to derail the train of thought, to cool the sudden flare of heat in his blood and remember how to pull air into his lungs. Fuck. 

_Focus._

'Tsunade wants us gone before sunset. Should reach the village by midnight, get the chance to catch some rest there before a dawn departure.'

He shrugged with the tediousness of the assignment, nothing to be done but suck it up and get on with it. Besides, he could definitely think of worse ways to spend a couple of days than on a job with his present company. Neji's lip quirked in time with the raising of a perfectly manicured eyebrow, sharing the wavelength, camaraderie in the face of their impending suffering. 

'Next time you visit, Shikamaru, bring better news.'

He laughed at the request and grasped the railing as he swung forward to lean over the garden bed, back to gaze up at the dark timber ceiling, pushed off smoothly to make his way towards the stairs. 

'Two hours. Meet me at the gate, and we can face our doom together.'

  
  
  
  


///

  
  
  
  


It had been a trap.

Rain pelted down in freezing sheets, stinging Shikamaru's face, running red into his eyes where it sluiced through the throbbing gash on his forehead. The pounding of their boots over sodden earth was drowned out by the storm, both of them trading stealth for speed in the name of covering more ground. _Fuck_ , they just had to make the treeline, make cover. Lightning cracked overhead, strobing the wide stretch of field in an unsettling flicker, lighting the pair of them up for any watching eyes to see. The steel spark of clashing kunai echoed bright behind his twitching eyelids, impact tremors still juddering through his muscles, blocking and blocking and _not._

Adrenaline and panic mixed sour in Shikamaru's gut and he pushed his pace, stumbling on rocky ground and skidding in mud in a desperate attempt to keep up. Neji dropped back a little, hesitation altering his stride at the sound of Shikamaru losing his footing, concern heavy in his expression as he glanced over his shoulder. Not for the first time tonight Shikamaru wished he had impressive chakra reserves like the Hyūga, something more to draw on as he forced himself to concentrate. 

_They just had to make the trees._

They'd been ambushed before they'd even reached their target, eighteen heavily skilled nin jumping them in the forest on their final approach to the village under the distraction of the storm breaking. They'd known their names, taunting them as they attacked, arrogant as shit but smart enough to prey upon their few weaknesses. To go after Shikamaru, wear him down, to realise Neji would protect him at his own risk. It had turned ugly fast. Too many of them, _too many,_ not enough chakra and _godsdamned_ close quarters was _not his thing_ and they just _kept coming._

Too slow, he'd grown too slow, blood in his eye and it had all happened so fast then, everything suddenly blurring, terror cascading through his veins as his chakra ran on empty, rage spurring hot on it's heels, vision _red red red._ He'd felt something in him splinter as the realisation set in that he may not live through this, animal survival instinct taking possession of his senses and lashing out, more and more blows driving through more and more gaps in his defences. _Dull impact_ _left shin create space feint right burning in his thigh fuck not good Nara move move move._ Red in his eyes, fury and fear and blood, _red red red._

Neji had screamed for him and pulled him close, snarling his own wildness as the enemy tried to drive them apart over and over, constantly shifting to offer Shikamaru as much protection as he could manage while lethal arcs of his chakra scorched the air, cut down one advancing body after another. _Burning ozone and wet screaming and red red red._ It was a bloodbath, no time for mercy, no time for hesitation. They'd fled only once the last body had fallen, Neji digging shaking fingers into his bicep and dragging him stumbling back the way they'd come, unsure of the risk of a second wave of attacks but unspoken certainty that they wouldn't make it out if they stuck around. 

In the chaos Shikamaru had barely registered more than a few hits, just the sick blur of worsening pain, but gods he could feel every single one of them now as he ran. The gash along the edge of his hairline that kept hazing his vision, another on his forearm, the throbbing wound in his thigh that felt like it meant serious fucking business. Blunt impacts to his shin, his knee, his lower back, every jarring stride now worsening the damage. He sucked choppy breaths into his searing lungs and willed himself to run faster, to focus, just a little longer, _keep up keep up keep up._

He'd heard Neji grunt with pain during the fight but had no idea of his injuries, there hadn't been time, and now the most important thing was getting the fuck out of this big open space and closer to Konoha. _Focus. Make a plan._ They needed to find cover, somewhere safe to stop and assess injuries, somewhere to shelter and rest when the adrenaline inevitably wore off and stalled their journey home. 

Neji was steering them towards a break in the treeline and they went crashing through one after the other, Shikamaru groaning as a branch smacked into his wounded thigh. Neji spared him a quick glance, moonstone eyes catching his for a frantic heartbeat before continuing to hastily weave through the steadily thickening brush. 

'Come on Nara, just a bit further. There's better cover ahead.' 

His voice was thready, shaking, and Shikamaru felt a panicked laugh constricting his throat. He'd never heard Neji sound so rattled. He knew he wouldn't sound any better, heartbeat thundering in his chest, body vibrating in a staccato echo of terror. He felt high, senses in overdrive and body thrumming with the chemical dump fuelling his flight, the panic and fear and rage now sitting like rocks piled heavy on the back of his tongue. 

The forest grew denser, canopy thickening enough to umbrella the worst of the pouring rain. Neji was scrambling over fallen branches, stumbling enough to give away a likely leg injury and exhaustion, but Shikamaru could finally see where they were headed. The trees had begun to change, figs reaching out with huge aerial root systems like maze walls. Shelter. Neji pointed them towards old growth, heavy and dark, towering overhead and wrapping around them, the still air a thick counterpoint to the shattered glass of their loud breathing. 

Shikamaru's knee trembled hard as he drew to a stop alongside Neji and he felt himself start to tumble before strong hands grabbed his vest and hauled him in close, pinning him tight to the tangle of wide branches at his back. His hands shot out, grabbing at Neji's hips for balance, body shaking as their eyes met. They held each other's gaze for the span of a breath before Neji released him, hands rapidly forming a familiar seal, forcing concentration. 

'Byakugan!' 

His voice was shot, the deep gravel of violence and fear grating past a clenched jaw. Shikamaru watched as his stare turned distant, veins darkening in his temples as he searched for pursuers, seeing far beyond the two of them in every direction. 

'Gods, tell me we're fucking safe…?' 

Shikamaru barely recognised his own voice, shivering and rapid-fire. Neji deactivated his jutsu, focus returning, hands dropping back to Shikamaru's vest. 

'They're all dead. There are no chakra signatures for miles, no one following. We're safe.' 

Shikamaru shuddered out a deep breath, his heart still hammering in his chest, body shaking with the instinct to keep running. Rain drizzled down through the mass of foliage, dripping from branches and misting their overheated bodies, the forest bracketing them from the storm. Neji's bright orbs locked tight on him, saw straight into him as easily as the Byakugan, and suddenly Shikamaru felt utterly, devastatingly exposed. As though he'd taken a powerful blow to the solar plexus which had left his carefully constructed walls entirely decimated, not a single stone still standing for him to hide behind. Like every last part of himself he kept tucked away, every fear that had shaken loose back in the fight, every need he silenced and longing he ignored, every single bit of it had been scattered between them by nothing more than the weight of the Hyūga's penetrating stare. Neji watched him, saw the wreckage, gaze passing over all his pieces with an understanding that had Shikamaru's breath stalling in his lungs. His heart stuttered over the chaos reflected back at him, Neji's own fortifications crumbling, letting Shikamaru _see,_ and gods but he _wanted,_ desperate and intense and suffocating and _now._

His body was moving without permission, instinct and need driving him as he reached to tangle a hand in Neji's hair and dragged their mouths together. The briefest flicker of surprise shivered through Neji before he was shoving Shikamaru hard against the tree and returning the kiss, hunger in every movement, desire slamming fever-hot into both of them with intoxicating speed. Shikamaru moaned as Neji pressed their bodies together, parting his legs to let him move closer, fingers flexing where his hand was still gripped tight at his hip. 

'Neji, _fuck…'_

Shikamaru was burning, the sparks under his skin catching into a ruinous blaze, and gods but all he wanted was to go up in flames. He worked at the hem of Neji's shirt, rucking it up to get his hand on bare skin, greedy fingers stroking along the base of his spine as he dipped beneath the waistband of his pants. Neji growled as he rolled against him, their rapidly hardening cocks grinding together, his fingers tugging at the fastenings of Shikamaru's soaked vest and pulling it open. Hot hands pressed against his wet shirt, palms sliding firmly down his chest, ribs, hips, leaving smouldering cinders in their wake before shoving at clinging fabric until he could grasp Shikamaru's exposed waist. 

Their kiss turned messy, open, devouring one another, all heat and ferocious need. Shikamaru tangled his fingers tighter in Neji's hair and yanked, drawing the most delicious sound from those kiss-bitten lips. He trailed his mouth along Neji's jaw, his throat, scraping teeth over pale skin and licking at droplets of rainwater. Arousal pounded hard through his veins, swirling through the adrenaline and driving urgency into every rough movement. He wanted Neji to tear him apart, consume him, fire pooling low in his belly and pulling a snarl from his lips as he ground their hips together. 

Neji reclaimed his mouth, feeding him breath and dragging up wild sounds from somewhere deep inside a place that Shikamaru normally kept buried behind his now-ruined walls. He fought the urge to beg, kept words tight behind his teeth while his hands told Neji everything he needed to know, clutching and anchoring their bodies, clawing at exposed skin and tugging at clothing, needing to _touch._ He shoved a hand between them, over the hard length of Neji's cock where it strained against his pants and palmed him through the coarse fabric, mapped out the shape of him, his own cock throbbing and growing impossibly harder. 

Every one of his senses had zeroed in on Neji's responses, surging hips and shattered breath and seeking lips, all fuel to the reckless abandon that blazed through him. Neji was moaning with every stroke of his fingers, pressing into it, his hands redirecting to Shikamaru's waistband and making short work of his buckle and zipper, pushing fabric aside and wrapping his cock in a firm grip. Shikamaru thudded his head back against the tree and howled as Neji handled him rough and perfect, tremors shaking through him, the whole world growing hazy. He grabbed at Neji's pants, fingers grasping clumsily as he worked them open and slipped inside, taking hold of his cock and stroking in time with Neji's movements. His mind was spinning, flooded with adrenaline and desire and drunk on the cascade of _yes_ and _more_ that passed between them with every touch. 

Heat washed over him, a magma-hot tidal wave scorching him deep in his core and pushing him rapidly towards the blistering edge. He cinched their brows together, breathing hard, lips and tongues seeking and catching as their hands worked a wicked rhythm. Every twist of a harsh grip, every flick of a thumb had them both moaning, clutching each other close. Shikamaru wanted everything, wanted to come like this, wanted more. His pace faltered. 

'Neji, _gods,_ I need…'

Hesitation snagged his tongue as his brain tripped and tried to process the way his body was craving, demanding things he had never ached for so badly. 

_'Neji,_ I…' 

Longing burned deep, his thoughts stuttering. _Closer closer closer._ Neji's hand had slowed in time with Shikamaru's, almost stilled, fingers keeping up a shivering tease of not-enough and he pressed his mouth against the wild pulse in Shikamaru's neck, teeth grazing in a barely restrained bite before whispering against the shell of his ear. 

'I'll give you what you want, Shikamaru. Just ask.'

And fuck, the _knowing_ in that tone, dripping with promise and echoed hunger, it nearly ripped him apart right there. A brush of lips, coaxing. 

_'Just ask me.'_

His heart pounded, blood roaring in his ears. Thoughts sharpened, desperate words spilling shamelessly between them. 

'...I need you _closer._ Need you to fuck me. I need to pretend we didn't nearly _die_ back there.'

Neji pulled back enough to meet his gaze, opalescent eyes burning, expression intense, and fuck there was so much there, _so much,_ Shikamaru's scattered brain tried to latch onto what he was seeing but it was like trying to catalogue the detail of a hurricane. His body burned. 

_'You_ , Neji. I need _you.'_

Their gazes held, one breath, two, and just as Shikamaru felt himself start to freefall Neji was leaning back in to take his mouth again. The kiss pushed back the wave of panic as Neji bit at his lip, tongue chasing the graze of teeth and a moan slipping between breaths. He released his grip on Shikamaru's cock and palmed his hip as Shikamaru took a steadying breath and fumbled in his vest for a vial of oil. Neji plucked it from his fingers and pressed a softer kiss and whispered words to his temple, a flash of sweetness laced with something heavy bleeding through the hunger. 

'You already have me.'

Shikamaru's breath caught at the implication, at the glimpse of what might lay between those lines but before he could process it that polished voice turned commanding in his ear. 

'Turn around for me.'

Powerful hands were already shifting him, coaxing him to brace against the tree, pushing his clothing down over his hips, easing it over his injury to bunch low between his knees. Fingers brushed close to the wound in his leg, the tingle of Neji's chakra passing deep into his body far more erotic than it had any right to be, raising prickles over his skin and a shiver down his spine. Shikamaru rested his cheek against his forearm as he opened his stance wide, making room as Neji moved close between his thighs. 

A sudden wave of vulnerability crashed over him as he realised how wanton he must look, how desperate, felt his face colour with it. It had been a long time since he'd had anyone take him, and fuck, he had certainly never begged for it like this, but right now he needed it like oxygen. Neji ran a soothing hand down his back, over his hip to stroke his bare ass, and Shikamaru pressed into his touch. Neji leant in to mouth at the nape of his neck and Shikamaru strangled a sob at the contact. 

'Gods Shikamaru, you're so eager.'

Shikamaru let out a harsh breath, arched his body back against Neji's, let the awed tone of his words chase at the heels of his nerves. Neji ran one hand over his neck, fingertips tracing his jaw, encouraged him to turn just enough to meet his gaze as he rocked their bodies together. 

'It's alright, I am too.'

A roll of hips punctuated his point, heavy cock dragging along the cleft of Shikamaru's ass as he pressed kisses behind his ear. Neji's hands disappeared from his body and Shikamaru shivered at the sudden loss, focusing on the sensation of strong thighs and leaking cock pressing against him. _Neji's_ strong thighs and leaking cock. _Fuck._ His mind reached out for steady ground but there was nothing answering but the wild need surging through him, whispering to him to let go, to let himself get lost in the pleasure sparking from Neji's touch. 

His eyes flickered shut as one of Neji's hands wrapped back around his hip, two slick fingers of the other stroking over his entrance before slowly pushing inside him. He groaned at the stretch, willed his body to relax and take it like he longed for. Neji paused to let him settle, a beat to breathe and adjust before he began opening him up, fingers stroking, seeking that moment when Shikamaru began to meet his movements. A stuttered exhale and Neji was pressing a third finger into him, too soon and perfect, the bite of pain lighting up the pleasure. He could feel Neji watching him closely, reading the need his body was broadcasting, not having to hear him beg for _harder_ and _more_ and _faster_ to know that was what he chased. The hand on his hip rubbed gentle circles, an anchor in the midst of their own personal storm. 

Shikamaru breathed deep and arched his back, rocking down on Neji's hand, those elegant fingers working him, twisting and shifting inside him with careful precision. He could hear Neji's breathing grow strained and barely had time to register the abrupt loss of Neji's fingers before his slick cock was pressing into him in a steady breach. His body felt strung tight as Neji sunk forward until he bottomed out, one long stroke, both of them groaning loud. Neji wrapped an arm around Shikamaru's chest, held him, fingers lingering over his thundering heart, brow tucking close and lips brushing the sensitive skin behind his ear. Shikamaru forced a measured breath, encouraged his limbs to loosen where they'd seized tight, overwhelmed. 

'That's it, breathe, relax for me, I've got you. We're safe. Let me make you feel it.'

Shikamaru shivered at the soft words, the raw emotion in Neji's voice spiking a honeyed warmth in Shikamaru's chest, a sense of understanding seeding there that he'd stumbled upon something fragile. Something to be held with gentle hands. He let it wash over him, swirl into all the molten hunger coursing through his body, and wondered if under different conditions they might draw this out, whether Neji might whisper to him for hours. The thought sent a bone-deep shudder through him, dragging a moan from Neji as the tension rippled along his body. 

He pressed a trail of kisses along Shikamaru's neck, tugged aside his shirt and jacket and bit down hard, sucking a deep bruise into the curve of his shoulder. Shikamaru sobbed, ground his body back against the careful roll of Neji's hips, the heat of his mouth throbbing in the mark even after he withdrew. His hand travelled down Shikamaru's chest, over his stomach to graze through the hair at the base of his aching cock, bypassing his rock-hard length to dig into his hip instead. He held Shikamaru firm as he withdrew almost entirely, thrusting back into his body rough and deep, again, again, both of them crying out at the intensity and crashing together, chasing more. 

Neji stroked over Shikamaru's hip bones and trailed one hand up under his shirt to rest along the curve of his ribs, holding him, a gentle contrast to the way his body worked him, fucking him hard. Shikamaru reached a hand to tangle their fingers at his hip, Neji squeezing back for a long moment before encouraging him to wrap it around his cock. Shikamaru was certain he could have come without it, the sudden friction almost too much, dragging a long, brutal sound past his lips. Neji moaned as he returned his grip to Shikamaru's hip, clutching hard enough to bruise as he found his rhythm again. 

Shikamaru's eyes fluttered closed as he let himself ride the waves of sensation. Tight rolling hips and Neji filling him deep, his own hand working his leaking cock, at once chasing and resisting the precipice. His skin was steaming, drenched clothes turning humid against his body, everything slick with rain and sweat mingling with bloody injuries, every ache driving the pleasure higher. And crashing over it all like a godsdamned tidal wave was a desperate desire to hold Neji close, keep him there, dig his fingers in and never let go. He drew a lip between his teeth and bit down on both the soft flesh and the swell of fear at the unfamiliar waters he was suddenly treading, let the ruined sounds of Neji losing himself to their pleasure rock through him. 

He sped his hand on himself as their pace grew frantic, his stomach tightening with little warning, let himself cry out Neji's name as he came hard. The weight he heard in those syllables lingered on his tongue, significant, his heart doing something complicated in his chest. Neji clung to him, pressed their bodies close as he sunk deep and followed Shikamaru over the edge, moaning as he shook through his release. Shikamaru let the tremors flow into his body as the aftershocks of his own orgasm pulsed through him, linking his fingers with Neji's where they were spread wide over his belly. 

They held each other there for long moments, breath syncing through the comedown, until Neji reached down to ease himself from Shikamaru's body. As Shikamaru stretched out his back he felt those strong hands return to his hips, hitching his clothing back into place and zipping him up in a move so affectionate it should have sent him off balance. And yet. 

His head slowly began to clear as they straightened themselves up, the fog of battle and arousal retreating to leave behind a crystal-sharp sense of awareness that he'd just hurtled them over a line. There was a script in the back of his mind for casual sex, and this...none of this was how things were meant to go at all. It should have been making him uncomfortable, awkward maybe. Instead it felt like he was being steadied, leveled out by a counterweight so perfectly calibrated that the ground felt firm beneath his feet. 

They shifted around one another, a magnetic pull keeping them close, drawing them back together with a cinch of brows and fingers pressed against napes, a quiet embrace as they let the charge between them settle. He knew the moment was passing, he had to stop, to step away. He brushed their lips together, the ghost of a kiss, one last shared breath and then Neji was drawing back from him just enough to let cool air pass between them, banking the remaining heat in their blood into soft embers. 

'We should find proper shelter and see to injuries. I want a better look at your leg wound before we go much further.'

Shikamaru felt a familiar peace creep in, an echo of the quiet space they'd created weeks before in a different forest. He felt a smile tug at his lips. 

As Neji began to shift away Shikamaru's fingers twitched out towards him, the movement driven by instinct rather than conscious thought, his body unwilling to give up contact even when his brain had begun redirecting his attention. Neji paused, gaze meeting Shikamaru's for a moment before reaching to skate his knuckles down to his wrist, over the back of his hand, the soft reassurance sending a flicker through Shikamaru's pulse and once again stirring up the sense that he should tread carefully, that there was something here to be gentle with. Neji tangled their fingers and Shikamaru felt warmth bloom in his chest as he squeezed once before letting go. He wanted to say something, wanted to pause reality a little longer, but _thank you_ seemed trite and his brain floundered for the right words. 

'Neji…'

Shikamaru swallowed hard as Neji glanced back at him, the brief tightness in his throat loosening as Neji's lips curved into a soft smile. He leant in and dropped a lingering kiss to Shikamaru's temple. 

'It's alright Shikamaru, you don't have to say anything.'

His hand gripped at Shikamaru's shoulder, fingers digging in for a moment, pulling away too soon. 

'Come on Nara, let's get moving.'

Neji's words were old ones, a familiar tease in his tone offering to lighten the atmosphere, but there was a shade of something new there too and it sounded as tentative and soft as the thing echoing through Shikamaru. 

'Lead the way, Hyūga.' 

Shikamaru let his smile carry in his voice, felt warmth spread through him as Neji glanced over his shoulder and smiled back. He took a deep breath, a calm breath, no sign of his battle-fear. Neji had banished it entirely, replaced it with a heavy drum beat in his chest and flares of firelight in his blood, and as he followed him further into the forest and back towards Konoha he couldn't help but feel that by the time they emerged from the other side of this night they might just find themselves walking a totally unfamiliar path. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Find me at littleaccomplice.tumblr.com where I’m reblogging stuff and tagging things badly. <3 is always appreciated if you enjoyed my rambling words!


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